Noluthando Mtana, an Eastern Cape woman, is suing a pathology laboratory in Port Elizabeth for a life of “emotional hell” after her husband was incorrectly diagnosed HIV positive. Mtana’s spouse, Mongesi, paid for an HIV test at Prime Cure Laboratories (Prime Lab) in July of 2004, and in August he received the results indicating he was positive.

Mongesi kept the results to himself for nearly a year and began using condoms with his wife, all the while suffering from thoughts of suicide and depression. He finally revealed the results to his wife in 2005 which initiated an obsession with contracting HIV, severe episodes of depression and distrust, and even caused Noluthando to quit her job because she could no longer concentrate at work. She remained extremely distrustful of Mongesi throughout the next couple years and threatened him with divorce. Although the couple was able to remain together, their marriage was extremely difficult to maintain with the thought of HIV always lingering.

In July of 2008 Mongesi paid for another HIV test, this time with a different laboratory. This time the results indicated that he was negative for HIV and that he had never been infected in the first place. According to court papers Prime Lab had acted negligently by failing to follow the initial positive test result with the vital HIV ELISA test.

While receiving the negative result was great news and surely a blessing for them, the couple will need to participate in group and individual therapy sessions to rebuild the trust that was lost after the initial positive result. Had the ELISA test been performed the Mtana’s could have avoided years of agony and despair.